A Soul Of The Sea: Katara's Song
by The Arrow Maker
Summary: What happened if the raid on the Southern Water Tribe happened a little earlier? The slightest changes make the biggest impacts. I hope this story is as fun reading as it is writing it. For all the people who love Zutara :  Enjoy
1. Chapter One: A Place Called Home

A Soul of the Sea: Katara's Song

**Disclaimer: Please note hat I do not own Avatar, but this story is mine :)**

Chapter One: A Place Called Home

_If you have no home, then where is your heart?_

The morning was as all mornings started in the village. The sun was just beginning to peak its' head up over the ice, turning the world a glowing white. Women tended the stove, preparing breakfast for their families. Men sharpened the stone heads of their spears for the hunt that day, while children put on their parkas and mittens to keep warm in the frigid South Pole air.

"Daddy! Daddy!" a young girl yelled. Strands of her dark brown blew loose from their braids, whipping across her face. Her blue eyes were as big as marbles, marveling at the horrible phenomenon that was falling around her, encasing her home.

"What is it Katara?" asked her father, coming outside from the hut. His eyes were the same blue as his daughter's, filled with wisdom and warmth. He stood agape next to his daughter, mortified.

"The snow! Something is wrong with the snow!" Katara exclaimed as she ran to her father's side. Black ash fell from the sky like wings that had been torn off of a butterfly, delicate and mesmerizing, but terrible all the same. Smelling smoke, the man cursed under his breath. He picked up his daughter and ran back inside to his wife and young son.

"Kya, get the children and stay inside. No matter what happens, do not leave this hut." He said, setting Katara down next to her brother, Sokka.

"Hakoda, what's going on?" Kya asked, her eyes brimming with concern. Hakoda kissed his wife on her forehead and replied,

"Fire Nation. Southern raiders, I think." Then there was moment of silence. Kya stiffened and looked down. Her hand flew up to the charm that she always wore around her neck, and she rubbed it between her fingers. It made a wonderful worry stone.

"Chief Hakoda, I've gathered the warriors. They're outside waiting for you." One of the village men said, entering the igloo. The man looked down at Katara, then back up at Hakoda and Kya. A look of understanding past between the three of them.

"Hakoda, what about Katara?" She whispered.

"Keep her hidden." Hakoda said back, his voice hushed. "If they ask, just deny it." He turned and looked at his precious daughter. The thought of anything happening to her made his blood boil. The Southern Raiders would go to any length to fallow orders, even if that meant murdering a six year old girl. He was suddenly felt a tug at his sleeve

"Here Dad," said a little voice. It was his son, Sokka, handing him his spear, "Can I come with you? I've been practicing, and I want to protect the tribe too."

Hakoda kneeled down to his son's level. "Sokka, I know you're a good fighter, and one day you'll be the best warrior in the tribe, but right now I need you to stay here and protect your mother and sister. You're the man of the house until I get back."

"Okay dad. I promise to protect them." said the boy, a little disappointed. Hakoda took the spear, said goodbye to his family one more time and ran out to join the other men.

The next few minutes felt like days. Katara, Sokka, and their mother sat in the far corner of the igloo, silent and unmoving. Kya held her children close as screams and wailings painted a picture of the bloodshed that was happening outside. Katara huddle against her mother and started to cry.

"Shh, shh, don't cry little one." Her mother cooed, "Here…" Katara looked up as she watched her mother take off her necklace. She placed it into Katara's little brown hands and said, "It helps if you rub the stone between your fingers. It makes the worries seem smaller." Her mother smiled down at Katara, but it was a sad smile, one without hope. Katara nodded and rubbed the stone, it helped a little.

Suddenly, a man entered their home. His eyes were the color of hot embers, full of anger and hatred. They struck fear into Katara's core, and she began to shake. "Where is the water-bender?" He asked. Katara's mother stood up and calmly said,

"There are no more water-benders in the Southern Tribe anymore. I'm sorry, but your trip is fruitless."

"Don't play dumb with me! You're hiding one here and I know it!" The man barked at her mother like an angry dog. Katara let out a small cry. The man turned his gaze to Katara. Kya stiffened and went over to her children.

"Is this why you're here, to scare my children, and make them fear for their lives? What kind of a man are you?" She nearly spat at him. He only smiled, as if amused by their fear.

"It's her, isn't it?" He started toward Katara, but then Sokka made a running charge at the man. He began to kick and punch him, but there is only so much an eight year old boy can do.

"Don't you lay hand on my sister!" The boy yelled, tears leaving tracks in the war paint he had put on earlier. The man looked down at the boy as if he were nothing more than an insect that needed to be squished. He kicked Sokka with so much force, that he flew and hit the ice wall, crumpling to the ground, unmoving.

"Sokka!" Kya screamed. She started toward her son, by the man grabbed her by her hair. She screamed from pain and frustration.

"Hand over the girl." He said between his teeth.

"No!" Kya yelled, wriggling in the man's grip. He chuckled and wrenched Katara from her mother's arms. Kya cried out and fell to the floor. "It's not her…" she whispered, "It's me. I'm the water-bender." The man smiled and picked Kya up by her neck, tossing Katara to the floor.

"See?" He said, his face inches away from her mother's, "That wasn't so hard, was it?" Kya looked away from the man as he laughed.

"Mommy!" Katara yelled, stumbling toward her mother who was now being dragged off.

"I'll be fine Katara." Her mother said with tears in her eyes, "Mommy will be alright." And then she was gone. The man took Kya outside with him, and shouted,

"I have the bender! Watch as I rid the world of the last water-bender of the Southern Tribe!" Then there was silence. The only sound was the Antarctic wind blowing across the ice, a howling, terrible sound. Minutes ticked by and Katara wandered into the cold and began to cry at the site of her beloved village. Women wailed over lost loves. Children cried for their mothers. Igloos were destroyed beyond repair. No one stopped her as she made her way to the village center.

"Mommy?" She asked, into the destruction, "Mommy, where are you?" No answer. Katara then came up to a circle of Fire Nation solders. They were gathered around a body, her mother's body. "Get away from her!" She screamed, running into the men. She wriggled her away through them and made her way to the body. "Mommy, wake up!" Katara pleaded to the corpse. "Please Mommy! Sokka needs you! I need you!" It did nothing. Her mother was long gone. Katara flung herself onto her mother, clutching to the cold body, trying to force her warmth into her. Hot tears burned down her brown cheeks, stinging her skin. The soldiers didn't do anything, they just stood there. Then a man walked up to her. It was the same man that took her mother away from her.

"Now, now, if it isn't that little water bug from earlier?" He kneeled down to where Katara lay crying over her mother. He took her by the hood of her parka and lifted her up. Katara went limp, she was tired and empty, and she had no will to fight the man. "I think I'll take you along with me, as little trophy from my victory in the South Pole." He handed her to one of the soldiers, "Put her with the others. Let's see if these barbarians are good for anything. Who knows? They might make good servants." The man smiled and walked onto a large metal ship.

Katara was boarded on another ship with a few other people from her village. She noticed that they were the most skilled workers and crafters in the tribe. Why was she being taken along with them? What sis they want from her? They were silent as the stood in line, and silent as they made their way to the bottom deck. As she was taken down below, Katara took one last look at the Antarctic sky. "Where are you Avatar?" she asked the nothingness, "Why didn't you save us?" Just then, the engines roared to life and the ship groaned as they pulled away from the tiny village. They were taking her to the place that had taken everything away from her, her new home, the Fire Nation.

**Okay, this was the FIRST chapter of my FIRST fanfiction EVER (so please be kind) I hope you all enjoyed the story so far, and there are more chapters to come you like :) Please review, because I LOVE hearing from my readers 3 It might seem slow right now, but never fear, there is Zutara to come :) **


	2. Chapter 2: Soul Alight

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender, but this story is mine, so yeah**

Chapter Two: Soul Alight

_There is light inside all people. The only difference is how much of it you choose to let shine through._

It was hard to say how long Katara had been on the ship. All together the journey was mulled into a collection of sleepless nights and uneventful days. None of the other captives talked to one another, let alone Katara. They all just sat there in on the metal floor, iron bars caging them in, as if they had anywhere to go, any home to run back to, or anyone they loved to welcome them back. Each of them was lost in their recollections of what had brought them here, the new life ahead of them, but not Katara. Her mind was numb and empty except a single echo of her mother's last words. "Mommy will be alright." She had said. That was lie.

"The girl's not eating, Sir." A solider said to his commander.

"What do you mean she's not eating? She's human, humans eat!" the commander replied, his voice rising with misplaced anger.

"Yes sir, but she… won't." said the solider, his eyes falling to the ground, too afraid to meet the commander's gaze.

"Make her! I didn't bring her along just so she could die on me!" The commander stood up from his seat, turning toward the window. There was moment of a silence, and then the solider, clearing his throat asked,

"Why did you bring her along, Commander Zhao?" More silence.

"To tell you the truth, I really don't know why." Zhao chuckled, "I killed her mother, you know? I took her out of her mother's arms, and killed her, right in the village center. After that she flung herself onto her mother's body, made scene of it. I guess she's the one person I have total and complete control over." He then smiled to himself.

"What about all those other captives, sir? You have control over them." The solider asked, starting to feel a little uncomfortable.

"No, no, it's not the same kind of control. Sure I can chose if they eat or don't eat, sleep or don't sleep, live or die," The commander's brow furrowed, obviously in deep thought. "But with the girl… I have taken away everything from her, and done it all right in front of her brown little face. I am her tormenter, the one she fears above all else. I control every fiber of her being. I am her God." He stopped, turning back to the frightened solider, and smiled. "I brought her along as a reminder of power I have. Every time I see the fear in those sad, pitiful blue eyes, I know that I put that fear there, the sadness, the loss. To her I am all powerful, and I like that, I like that very much."

Katara knew she was losing weight. Her clothes were becoming baggy on her thinning frame, her bones more defined and noticeable. Sure, they tried to get her eat, but their efforts were in vain. Her hope was that if she became small enough, she would just wither away into nothing. Life was pointless now. Her mother had died for her, and for what? For her to be sold into slavery in the nation that killed her? It was too horrible for Katara to think about, how could she possibly go through with it? So she wouldn't, she would just become so light, that the slightest breeze would carry her off…

"We're here." A solider said, opening the cell door, "Stay in line and do as you're told. Welcome to the Fire Nation." The captives barley blinked an eye as they stood up, their bodies groaning from the long trip. They did as was asked of them and made their way off the ship. From there, they were placed onto the back of a covered cart, where a solider locked a door behind them, and they were caged once more.

The ride took about day until they had reached their destination. On the way there, they had stopped and told the captives to change into new clothes. These "new" clothes were white grain bags that had been sewn to be worn as a crude tunic. They then were told to hand over all personal possessions. When Katara heard this, she hid her mother's necklace in a crack between two boards that made up the cart floor. It wasn't the best hiding place but it would have to do for now. The soldiers then gathered their things together and set them on fire. Katara thought it was a little dramatic. When everyone was dressed, and their belongings burned, they were hauled back onto the cart and continued on their journey.

"Katara, are you alright?" asked Nana, a master seamstress. It took Katara a moment to realize that someone had spoken to her, let alone it being another one of the captives. She looked up at Nana and simply gave a slight nod. Nana leaned over and placed a hand on Katara's forehead. "You have a fever, and you've been coughing for the past two weeks." Nana said. "The fact you aren't eating won't help anything. You aren't used to this heat Katara, you'll need all your strength if you want to make it through the summer." Katara only nodded, and Nana sighed. They then went back to their silence.

When the cart stopped, and the captives let out, Katara was shocked at what she saw. They stood in front of a gleaming palace. Ornate carvings lined the ivory walls, towers opened to sweeping balconies, and everywhere Katara looked, there seemed to be some emblem of the Fire Nation. They entered through massive gates into a large courtyard. There, they were told to line up in order of height, which made Katara the last in line. From the main doors entered a small platoon of soldiers, who formed two lines, making a pathway from the doorway. Then the beautiful woman Katara had ever seen, walked into the courtyard. Her ebony hair cascaded down her back, which was clothed in the finest of silks in the most vibrant hues of red and orange. Her skin was like porcelain, creamy and white. She walked over to the captives with the utmost grace, almost as if she floated across the floor.

"Your Highness, these are the captives we gathered from the recent raid on the Southern Water Tribe. " It was the man, the one who killed her mother. Katara hadn't seen him since she first got in the ship back at the South Pole. She felt her heart quicken in her chest and wondered if anyone else could hear it. "They are the most skilled and valuable members of the tribe. Though I don't know how useful they will be in the Fire Nation, they lived like barbarians there, Your Highness." He smiled at the woman, the fire burning in his eyes just like Katara had remembered.

"Thank you, Commander Zhao." The woman said, smiling back at him. But her smile wasn't obnoxious like his was. Her smile was sweet and regal, a real smile. The woman stopped at each of the captives and asked them what they did. She would smile and laugh and Katara could tell the other villagers relaxed when she would speak to them. The woman had an almost magical effect on them. "What's your name?" She asked. Katara looked up and just stared. To woman's eyes were beautiful. They were the same ember color as Commander Zhao's and the other soldier's, but her eyes did not burn with hate or pride. They glowed.

"Your Highness need not waste her time on this child." Commander Zhao said, stepping forward. "She is the daughter of the Water-bender we had to exterminate, nothing special."

"Then why bring her along?" The woman turned to face the commander. Was that fear Katara saw in the man's eyes? Who was this woman who could scare the most evil, vile man she had ever met? She then turned back to Katara and kneeled to they were at the same level. Everyone went quiet. "Sorry, for that rude interruption." She smiled, leaving Katara star struck, "Now, do you think you could tell me your name?" Silence. Katara couldn't speak. She hadn't said a word for the whole trip, but that was a choice. Now she couldn't find the letters to make up her own name. The sun beat down on her like a drum, her vision went hazy.

"Your eyes…" Katara said, placing her hand on the woman's cheek, "…are like… candles." The woman smiled, and then, everything went black.

_**Sorry, this chapter was a little weird, but I promise the next will be better. Please review and spread the news! You all are so great and thank you so much!**_


	3. Chapter 3: Sons and Daughters

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The last Airbender, but this story is mine, so take that…**

Chapter Three: Sons and Daughters

_Do not lose hope my dear child, for hope will never lose you_

Katara woke up alone surrounded by giant pillows and comforters. Her head was pounding and she had difficulty keeping her eyes open. Her breathing was labored and the heat was unbearable, so she threw off the covers and pillows. Just then the door opened, and the woman from before entered the room. "Hello." She said, taking a quick glance at the linens that had been strewn all over the floor. Katara looked up, but didn't say hello back. The woman carried a bowl of water and a washcloth. She sat on the bed and began to dab Katara's face with the damp cloth. "Are you hungry?" She asked after a few minutes. Katara shook her head. The woman nodded and continued to dampen Katara's face. "You have quite a fever. You've been asleep since yesterday when you passed out in the courtyard." The woman said, wringing the cloth out after dipping it in the cool water. "You gave me quite a scare." She smiled at Katara. "You still never answered my question. What's your name?" No reply, but the woman didn't press her. "My name is Ursa."

Katara nodded and closed her eyes. The water felt amazing on her face. After a few moments of quiet, Katara said, "That is a very pretty name." She opened her eyes and look up at Ursa who was smiling down at her. "Mine is Katara."

"Katara." Ursa said, "You have a very pretty name too."

The next day Ursa brought with her some tea, which after much coaxing, Katara drank. Then the day after that see brought in some bread. Everyday Usra would come into the room with tea and food for Katara, and the two would eat in quiet. They only talked when Katara would say something, but if she didn't feel like saying anything that day, then there wouldn't be any conversation.

"You know what I said, about your eyes being like candles?" Katara asked after taking a sip of her tea.

"It will be one thing I will never forget." Usra replied, smiling at Katara. Katara smiled back and then asked,

"Do you know what it means?" Usra shook her head.

"It was something my father used to say about my mother." Katara explained. The look in Ursa's eyes told Katara she was begging to hear more. This was the first time she had ever mentioned her parents. "He would say that there are many different kinds of eyes. Some peoples were like sunshine, happy and smiling, while others like the moon, dark and mysterious. But then he said there were a few people, whose eyes are like candles. He said that they were the ones who lit the way for others, that those people affect everyone around them, giving off light. He said my mother had candle eyes, and you have them too." Katara stopped, noticing Usra brushing a tear off of her cheek. The two sat there for a moment, unmoving and silent, as if the slightest change would ruin this moment.

"Katara, I wanted to ask you something." Usra said, "How would you like to stay with me and my family? I have a daughter who's six, just like you, her name is Azula. I also have a son, who is eight."

"What's his name?" asked Katara.

"His name is Zuko."

The next day, Ursa took Katara outside of her room and down a long hallway. They came to a garden and Katara saw two children playing by a pond. "Azula, Zuko, would you please some here for a moment? There is someone I would like you to meet." Ursa called out to her children. The boy and girl quickly ran to their mother. "This," Ursa said, " is Katara. She will be staying with us from now on. I want you both to be nice to her." The girl came forward first.

"Hello Katara, my name is Azula." She said. The girl resembled her mother greatly, except the eyes. There was something… off about them, something Katara couldn't quite place. She nodded and the girl looked to her mother for approval. Ursa smiled and cleared her throat. The boy came forward next, giving Katara a cautious.

"I am Zuko. Prince Zuko," He said, "What is your title?" He challenged. Katara didn't know what to say, she looked up at Ursa gave Zuko a warning look, he quickly backed down.

"Well, I have to go speak with your father." Usra said to the children, "Play nice." And with that she was off down the hallway, leaving Katara utterly defenseless against a strange girl and an even stranger boy who thought he was a prince.

"I really don't know what my mother sees in you…" Azula said, looking over Katara. "She talks about you all the time, but I don't know why."

"Ursa talks about me?" Katara asked, a little shocked.

"Don't address her so formally!" Azula snapped, "It is not proper for a peasant to speak of the wife of the Fire Lord so casually."

"Excuse me?" Asked Katara, "She's the wife of the Fire Lord?"

"Are you stupid or something? Of course she is, she's Princess Ursa, and we are their children Princess Azula and Prince Zuzu." Azula replied coldly, her ember eyes sparkling with pride.

"I told you to stop calling me that!" Zuko yelled at his sister, who merely giggled, and then the two began to brawl. While Zuko and Azula fought it out, Katara was beside herself with shock. Had she been staying in the house of the Fire Lord all this time? The man who was responsible for the death of her mother and destruction of her home? And Ursa was his wife? Katara had never felt so betrayed in her entire life. She was staying in the home of her enemy; and she couldn't turn back now. She was now one of them, part of the Fire Nation.

_**Big thanks to everyone who is reading and commenting! Your guys drive me to keep writing! I know I promised Zutara this chapter, but it didn't fit. Don't worry it will be coming up, I just need to set up the story first.**_


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